Getting Ashore in Trinidad Island

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While sailing is on hold due to hurricane season we took time to go ashore and look at some popular places in Trinidad.

Port of Spain

Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad, lies between the mountains and the sea and is subject, particularly during the rainy season, to...RAIN SQUALLS! See one coming in this photo?

wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Port of Spain

Bamboo Cathedral

One of our first trips ashore was a hike through the Bamboo Cathedral. This trip was not organized by Jesse James but by Robin of the yacht Heide.

Bamboo Cathedral

There are supposed to be monkeys in these jungles but we didn't see any.

Before we reached the beach at the end the going turned into a jungle trek. Luckily we picked up a bus for the trip home.

Pitch Lake

The next trip was to one of the most interesting geologic features of Trinidad, the Pitch Lake at La Brea. Here an underground seam of thick petroleum bubbles up to the surface and forms a lake of soft, gooey, pitch, asphalt, and oily water.

There are only three of these pitch lakes known in the world and this is said to be the largest. It is half a mile across and 250 feet deep and the vein of oil which feeds it reaches to Venezuela. The asphalt is mined out of it with front-loaders which drive out on the pitch (and don't stop moving for fear of sinking) and used in road building.

Pitch Lake

Nymphea Lillys

Plants and asphalt?

We walked out for a look, with a guide to keep us from stepping in the wrong place.

Judy and Liam

We could sink here!

Judy stirs pitch

Did a Pterodactyl die here?

Pitch Lake

Port of Spain Market


Time for lunch, anything in the market we want?

Pumpkins

Eggs

Cabbages

Nope, guess we'll skip lunch.

Tony the Pan Maker

Steel drum bands were invented here on Trinidad and next we visited Tony's shop where oil drums are turned into pans. Tony demonstrated how he tunes a pan for the perfect sound.

Tony

Angostura Bitters

Trinidad is home to Angostura Bitters and we visited the factory and rum distillery.

Aging room for rum at Angostura distillery

Temple in the Sea

And later saw a Hindu temple.

Temple in the Sea

Prayer Flags

Boat Work

I gave a short prayer when I saw the flags, in hopes that my B&G display (Below) work work again after I tried to fix it...

20/20

But it didn't.

wingssail images-judy jensenFred & Chris

Is this the tropics? We break out the foulies when rain and cool winds hit us in Trinidad. This was the day of our last race.